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Thursday, January 05, 2006

Peeling Pecans?

Pecans are usually really expensive and hard to find here, but I recently picked up 2 kilos at the after-christmas sales. I did that a couple of years ago too, shelled like crazy and made some excellent baked goods, and now it's time again. However, I remember the actual shelling as a horrible nuisance. Any ideas for helping it become a little easier?

I'll probably shell them all in one huge shelling frenzy, and then freeze the shelled nuts until I have a chance to use them up. (I'm eyeing some Pecan Pie Bars in the new Gourmet cookbook!) If anyone has a great pecan recipe, do send that my way! :)

9 comments:

Go to that dried fruits and nuts and stuff place in Hötorgshallen, I saw a rather large bag of pecans there for a reasonable sum. When you come down the stairs it is a little backwards, to the left. Well, now you have your pecans but for next time... And peeling? I saw a recipe where you were supposed to peel hazelnuts by roasting them in the oven and then rub the peels off in a kitchen towel. Perhabs you can try that?

Hi Clivia! That's GREAT advice, I really do need to check out more things at Hötorgshallen. (Maybe we should meet up one day?) Actually, unpeeled pecans are like totally unpeeled hazelnuts - hard. The tip for peeling hazelnuts by roasting is to get rid of the papery dark inner peel, not the actual hard shell. (And it works so-so, in my opinion.. be prepared to ruin a towel or two.)

I think there's something about soaking the pecans in cold water, I had a trick last time.. can't remember though, it was a few years ago :)

Hi Anne,mmmm pecans...you are so lucky to have them! I have seen a pecan grower on tv demonstrating how to open them. You should take a look at Per's tool box because he was using a pruning knife to cut small edges from both ends of the nut and then cracking it easily in the middle. I wish you patience , and surely the result will worth it. Tülin

If you can get a Texan/York nut sheller it should be a little easier to shell the pecans. It is still a lot of work, but this little device makes it easier to have pecan halves instead of shards. Good luck.